James Monroe

“Era of Good Feelings”

■Essential QuestionEssential Question:

How did American nationalism increase under James Monroe?

1. George Washington

2. John Adams3. Thomas

Jefferson4. James

Madison5.5. James James

MonroeMonroe6. John Q.

Adams7. Andrew

Jackson

■ James Monroe was elected president in 1816 & 1820 with a clear set of goals:– To promote national unity

and America’s power in the world

■ Monroe was a Democratic-Republican

■ By 1816 the Federalists were so weak that the Republicans could do almost anything

The Era of Good Feelings (1815 – 1825)

■ After the War of 1812, America experienced an “Era of Good Feelings” – Monroe & the Republicans in

Congress used this time to promote American nationalism

– NationalismNationalism—the interests of the United States should be placed ahead of regional interests

American Nationalism■Monroe & the Republicans in

Congress promoted nationalism & American unity in 3 ways:

1. Gov’t: Increasing the power of the national gov’t over the states

American Nationalism ■ John Marshall (1801-1835) used the

Supreme Court to strengthen the power of the national government:

American Nationalism■ Monroe & the Republicans in

Congress promoted nationalism & American unity in 3 ways:

1. Gov’t: Increasing the power of the national gov’t over the states

2. Economy: Encourage industry & build better transportation to link the South, North, & West

The American System■ In 1816, Congressman Henry Clay

proposed the American SystemAmerican System to unify the economies of the North, South, & West– Created a Second Bank of the U.S. – Created a tariff to promote U.S. industry

& limit the importation of British manufactured goods

– Proposed national system of roads & canals

Transportation by 1840:

Rivers, Roads, Rivers, Roads, Canals, & Canals, & RailroadsRailroads

The American System allowed the USA to create a national market economy for the 1st time

Southern cotton was used in northern textiles factories

Northern factories made manufactured goods that were sold

throughout the country

Western farms grew grains & raised livestock that fed the nation

Kentucky Congressman Henry Clay

■ What aspects of this portrait reveal parts of Henry Clay’s “American System”?

Settlement of the Trans-Mississippi

Congress quickly admitted 5 new states to the Union:

Louisiana (1812)

Indiana (1816)

Mississippi (1817)

Illinois (1818)

Alabama (1819)

After the War of 1812, Americans flooded into the West; By 1840 over one-third of the

population lived in the West

This economic & territorial growth created a need to settle America’s national boundaries

American Nationalism■ Monroe & the Republicans in

Congress promoted nationalism & American unity in 3 ways:1. Gov’t: Increasing the power of the

national gov’t over the states

2. Economy: Encourage industry & build better transportation to link the South, North, & West

3. Foreign Policy: Expanding U.S. borders & increasing America’s role in world affairs

American Nationalism President Monroe & his Secretary of State John Quincy Adams used foreign policy to

promote nationalism & territorial expansion

In 1818, Monroe & British leaders agreed to establish the

US/Canada border set at the 49º

In 1819 the USA gained Florida from Spain with the

Adams-Onis TreatyAdams-Onis Treaty

Nationalist Foreign Policy■ When Latin American nations gained

independence, the U.S. supported the new republics:

–Monroe did not want Europeans re-colonizing in Latin America

– Monroe DoctrineMonroe Doctrine (1823) warned European nations that the USA would protect the Western Hemisphere• U.S. would not interfere in Europe

Sectionalism ■ The Era of Good Feelings was a

time of nationalism, but there were problems between North & South

– SectionalismSectionalism—when regional interests are placed above national interests

– Northerners & Southerners disagreed over slavery, national taxes, & the role of national government

– These disagreements dominated politics from 1820 to 1860

Missouri Compromise■ When Missouri applied to become a

U.S. state, sectionalism emerged– Missouri wanted to become a slave

state

– Northerners did not want to see Southern slave states increase their power in the national gov’t

– If Missouri entered as a slave state, the South would have 2 more Senators than the North

Because of the 3/5 Compromise, the South had more members in

the House of Representatives

President Monroe was from Virginia, so the South controlled the presidency

too

American Slave Population, 1790-1820

In 1820, Henry Clay negotiated the Missouri Compromise

Missouri became a slave state

Maine broke from Massachusetts & became a free state

Slavery was outlawed in all western territories above the latitude of 36°30'

Closing Activity

Examine the political cartoon:

•What do you see?

•What can you deduce about how the Monroe Doctrine might be used by the U.S. in the future?

Writing Prompt

■Describe how…

–the Louisiana Purchase

–the War of 1812

–the Monroe Doctrine

…helped to establish American nationalism